Texas Trio Ch. 20-23

Cat lifted herself to hover over Jem's cock, grasping his swollen member and guiding it to her entrance.

She might not have made love many times, but she adored everything about the way Colt and Jem held her, touched her, treated her. Tonight their sensual caresses had brought her a kind of pleasure she couldn't have imagined a few months earlier, and she wanted more. She wanted to be taken, held, handled. She wanted them in her and around her, tonight and every night from now on.

Jem saw her expression darken into fierceness. She pursed her lips as she relaxed her legs, trying to drive herself in one hard motion all the way onto his cock. She didn't quite make it, but he didn't think the little mewling sound she made had anything to do with pain. Colt's expression echoed the desire on his partner's face as they watched her undulate, gradually taking more of his length into the heat of her body.

With her mons planted firmly against his lower belly and her fingers hovering near his heart, Catherine panted, resting while her pussy adjusted to Jeremiah's girth. Barely shifting her weight, she started to move against him.

When Jem reached up to pluck at her nipples, Cat half-opened her eyes. Colt was still propped on one elbow, stroking his cock while his eyes touched her breasts with the same fervor as Jem's hands. She moaned softly, and looked at him with such longing that he rose and went to her.

Kneeling at her side, Colt kissed her until she began to rock against Jem. Soon she was lifting her body and letting herself fall with more force, making small sounds each time. Colt ran his hand from her shoulders all the way to the full globes of her ass, watching appreciatively as she slammed herself down on his best friend's cock.

When Colt's erection brushed against her hip, he groaned from deep in his chest, and Cat lifted one hand to wrap it around him. He closed his eyes. There was no chance in hell of him holding back if he had to watch her slender, graceful fingers on the dark skin of his aching cock. He'd rip her off Jem or come in her hand, and he was trying hard to avoid doing either.

Catherine found the sight every bit as exciting as Colt did. She squeezed gently as she stroked the the soft, hot skin of his cock. When she reached the end, she let her hand curl around it until the big, plush tip nudged her palm.

Jem gripped her hips tightly, trying to slow their climb from a sprint to a crawl. He grimaced, his toes curling as he fought to keep his spine flat against the bed, though he wanted to buck again and again, driving upward into the wet heat of her body until they were both blind with lust. Sitting up, he embraced Catherine and, after a soft kiss, murmured a few words in her ear.

Cat hesitated only a moment before complying; she wasn't even sure if what Jeremiah had suggested was possible.

Colt opened his eyes when she released his cock and found both his bed partners in motion.

With increasing interest, he watched as Jem positioned Cat with her knees at the edge of the bed and her fingers on the mattress, aiming toward Colt. She lifted her head and met his gaze, holding it for a moment, then letting her eyes fall pointedly to his erection. Colt's heart skipped a beat.

Unconcerned with his awkward gait, Colt knee-walked the few steps necessary to put all of himself at her disposal. Jem caught his eye and winked. Colt's look of gratitude might have been hilarious in other circumstances, but Jeremiah's attention was back where it belonged.

Catherine's curvacious hips begged for his touch, and Jem obeyed, stroking upward from her thighs. One hand landed on her spine, but the other detoured to encircle the base of his cock. Guiding himself, he moved his hips enough to push between her labia, nudging at her clit, but he didn't enter her yet. He tipped his head to the side and watched Colt palming Catherine's cheek, wondering if she was giving him the same loving look from below that he was giving her from above. Both men groaned as her mouth closed around the head of Colt's stiff cock.

Jeremiah glanced down as he leaned forward, beginning the slow process of penetration all over, as though she hadn't just been sitting atop him. In this position, she was even tighter. In teasing increments rocked forward and withdrew, over and over, until the head of his penis was wet and glistening with further evidence of Catherine's desire. When he looked up again, Colt had moved. His thighs were longer than Catherine's arms, so he'd leaned back on his heels, sliding his knees further forward. His eyes were closed.

Jem tipped his head far to the side to get a glimpse of Catherine bowing her head to Colt's lap, sucking more of his cock into her mouth. She moaned around him, and Colt echoed her appreciation.

As Jem began to enter her, Catherine lifted her head, drawing noisy breaths as Jem's fat prick stretched her to the limit.

Colt petted her hair, watching the play of emotions across her features, thinking again how much he loved the woman kneeling before him. Her mouth hovered tantalizingly close to the swollen head of his cock, but her hand never ceased its arousing explorations.

Catherine's expression wandered toward distress when Jem, having filled her, plunged less cautiously than before.

"Cat? You alright?"

Jem froze, and Catherine opened her eyes to find Colt studying her closely. The concern slipped from his craggy features as the corner of her mouth quirked upward, twin flames flickering to life in her pale green eyes. In reply, she simply smiled and lowered her head, her mouth enveloping him again.

Time twisted itself into a fluid thing as the three made love, lengthening when Catherine freed Colt's cock and stretched forward for a kiss, her nipples accidentally brushing across its velvety tip, hurrying forward when she consumed him, her palm insistent on his rigid, aching shaft. The clicking clock thundered when Jem's rhythmic thrusts drilled Catherine's waiting pussy more savagely, and slowed when he ground his hips from side to side, straining to caress every inch of her pussy as his fingers parted the plump folds beneath.

When Jeremiah's thrusts became wilder, Colt held his hands wide and flat beneath her breasts, so Catherine's nipples scraped across his rough palm.

Catherine sucked harder on the rigid length of Colt's cock as the tension mounted in her belly, and the groans of all three melded into one ongoing murmur. Colt's fingers, tangling themselves in Cat's hair, held it away from her face so he could watch her mouth on his cock.

The glistening wetness between them taunted Jeremiah, and he couldn't resist the temptation. When he wiped her juices smoothly across the tiny bud of her ass, Cat went crazy, writhing and arching her back. Holding her soft cheeks apart, he gazed greedily at his cock sawing in and out of her gripping pink lips.

Jem growled as she clenched at him, willing himself not to come.

His thumb circled her sensitive bottom teasingly a few times before Jem relented to her wordless pleas, pushing into her tight rear passage. Driving his hips slowly, Jem's thick thumb worked her open until he was fucking her succulent ass with the same increasing rhythm his cock was hammering into her hips.

Cat exploded, her lips gripping Colt so insistently that he couldn't help coming, too, groaning as his cock jerked, flooding her mouth with seed. Jem lasted only a minute longer, sliding his thumb from the clutching confines of her ass and pounding his cock into the spasming depths of her pussy, swelling as he came, and wrenching one final peak from Catherine as she moaned over his best friend's cock.

–:–:–:–:–:–:–:–:– CHAPTER 22 –:–:–:–:–:–:–:–:–

Fate gives and takes, Catherine concluded later. They were incredibly lucky to find each other, of course, and fortunate in that Colt didn't accompany her and Jem all the way to the door of his suite when she departed, but their luck ended there. Uncle Harry, normally sound asleep or still off in Houston at this hour, chose that morning to rise early and go down to the kitchen for a snack.

Neither Catherine nor Jem saw him in the hall, but as he climbed the carpeted stairs Harrison's head rose far enough above floor level to see them embracing in Jem's doorway. From the shadows he watched his niece retreat, the time and her state of undress telling the story plainly, even without her hair in disarray and the flush of lust high across her chest.

Harrison stayed where he was for a solid minute, immobilized by the shock of his discovery, then turned and retreated down the stairs. Entering his study, he poured himself a bourbon, ignoring the hour. Yesterday he would have bet what remained of his personal fortune that Catherine was as straight-laced as any girl could possibly be and today... today....

As his shock wore off, Harrison's temper seized control. After all the men she'd refused and all the time she'd spent arguing with him, the little slut was prepared to disgrace her entire family with a man she'd met barely a month ago. If the crystal tumbler had been of lesser quality, it would have shattered then: he slammed it down so hard.

He paced the length of his study.

How dare the little tart risk his reputation, his good name!

Harrison was still pacing when Hawkins arrived to be greeted with a hissed recital of Cat's many failings. Hawkins remained silent, as usual, while Harrison worked himself into a frenzy. When his master strode out of the room, the dull-witted behemoth followed without comment.

Catherine was sitting down to breakfast at the table by the patio when her uncle charged in, ordering everyone else out.

The two maids scurried off, and Nanny, with one fast, panicked glance from Harrison to Catherine, followed. Hawkins pulled the door shut behind them. Nanny stopped on the landing, refusing to go further away from Miz Catherine than that.

The heavy oak doors muffled much sound, but from directly outside, she caught a word here or there. Catherine's voice stayed low throughout, but Harrison's voice rose, and Nanny, blanching, heard some of the same words she'd mentioned in her own tirades. When she heard flesh striking flesh and a cry of distress from Catherine, she started forward despite her fear, meaning to rush to her mistress' aid. Hawkins barred her way with one massive forearm, not budging as Nanny pressed all her might into service. From within, Harrison's ejaculations had become sporadic, as had Cat's whimpers, but the sound of blows did not abate.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Nanny fought furiously until Becky arrived at a run. Becky pushed past Hawkins, not waiting for explanations. He hesitated only a second before allowing her entry. His instructions didn't include disobeying the master's niece. He held Nanny aside as Becky flew by, leaving the door ajar.

When Becky launched herself between her uncle and Catherine, cowering on the chaise with her arms over her head, Harrison didn't hesitate before back-handing her to the floor, where she lay unmoving. He glanced dismissively down before turning back to Catherine, and Nanny, with a small shriek, flew for help. Her first thought was for Caleb, but he was all the way out in the yard, and she was afraid Catherine might be dead before they got back. Her second choice was closer, and she didn't pause to knock before throwing Jem's door wide.

Thankfully, he'd already donned pants, shoes, and shirt, and was fastening his studs when the frantic woman flew at him in the dressing room, sobbing mostly unintelligible phrases. Jeremiah didn't need to hear more than "Miz Cat." He ran past Nanny and out the door.

Hawkins saw him coming and hesitated long enough to lose the advantage his size and six-guns gave him.

Jeremiah didn't hesitate. He plowed into Hawkins' left cheekbone with the full force of the run and a fist brought up from way back in Liberty Falls, knocking him into a heap and dodging sideways into Catherine's suite.

The blow he spared for the bridge of Harrison's nose hardly slowed Jeremiah as he dropped to his knees by Catherine's side. Nanny arrived a second behind him, weeping hysterically as she watched Jem gather the quaking girl to his chest, murmuring wordless sounds of comfort. She spun to assist Becky, still weaving and dazed, but already sitting upright on the floor behind Harrison, hiccuping occasionally. Nanny helped her to the loveseat, turning to Jem.

"Ice," he ordered Nanny, and she fled.

Catherine, barely conscious, shook in his arms as awareness crept in, bringing along its myriad agonies.

Hawkins was still out cold, but Harrison was regaining consciousness when Nanny returned with a bowl of ice and a couple of housemaids carrying water and towels. She considered aiming a kick at each man's head as she passed, but didn't care to waste the seconds it would cost.

The silent pause had given Jem just enough time to calm the edge off his killing rage at Harrison Matthews, allowing reason a spare slice of his mind. Harrison still held Catherine's future and her fortune in his grasp. While Jem might not care about her parents' money, Catherine certainly would, and neither should Harrison profit from his plots. Jem had the added incentive of knowing what– or rather who– the money went to buy. The most pressing matter, though, was their marriage. As Catherine's legal guardian, Harrison had the power to deny her permission to marry, making their lives at least difficult, putting Catherine's fortune out of her reach and, possibly, Catherine out of theirs.

When Harrison climbed heavily to his feet, shaking his head to clear the fog, and began to glower in Jem's direction, Jem addressed him, accent intact. "Since you have entrusted me with Catherine's future, Señor Matthews, I reserve the right to treat her as I please. I won't have you marking her up before our wedding takes place. I have a public image to keep up in Argentina and America, and I will thank you not to mar it with your heavy-handed temper."

It was the most politic thing he could think to say, both protecting Catherine and hopefully preserving his deal with the devil by portraying himself as merely concerned with appearances.

It worked.

Harrison, prepared to elaborate on the cause of the beating, became suddenly aware of the housemaids' presence and closed his mouth. Albeit terrified, servants would talk, and he had appearances to keep up, too. At least he thought he did.

He gave a curt nod and withdrew, his path not quite straight.

Nanny was pleased to see Hawkins, beginning to show signs of life, get a kick from his master before the door closed, though it was nowhere near as hard as what she would have given him.

Murmuring against Catherine's hair, which hung down to hide her face from them, Jem spared a glance for Nanny. With absolute clarity, he darted his eyes from the maids to the door. Nanny ordered them to Becky's aid. Taking time for instructions, she hurried them all out and down the corridor, before dropping to her knees next to the chaise, reaching an unsteady hand out to Cat.

"Wait," Jem commanded. "I'll put her on the bed first."

He dropped his face toward Cat and spoke more softly, "Catherine? I'm going to lift you, darling. We'll get you into bed so Nanny can take care of you."

Catherine, who'd made hardly any sound, cried, "No!" weakly and unfurled her arm enough to reach Jem's bicep. She clenched the crisp white fabric in her fist and sobbed, "No, please, Jem. Please don't let me go."

His stomach knotted when he heard her slurred and broken speech. "Shhh. That's all right then, we'll stay right here as long as you want."

Nanny was crying again, soundlessly this time, as she knelt by Catherine's side.

Jem kept his cheek on Catherine's hair, but turned his eyes to Nanny and spoke solemnly. "I know Caleb told you about Catherine's uncle and about me and Colt. I also know how strongly you object."

His glare stopped Nanny when she opened her mouth to reply, and Jem continued, "I don't care.

"Catherine thinks of you as her mother and will not leave if you forbid it. I will not leave her with that bastard for one second longer than necessary. You may disapprove as much as you like, and lecture all of us endlessly back on the ranch. You have my permission to scream obscenities at me every day for the rest of my life, or take a whip to me if you feel the need, but I will not– absolutelynot– leave here without Catherine. As her mother, you will do what's best for her and come with us."

There was no question in Jem's tone, no room for argument.

He held Nanny's gaze without blinking, and she was the one who looked away.

She put her hand gently on Catherine's arm and nodded once. "I'm goin' wherever Miz Cat goes and, mister, we got to get her out of here."

–:–:–:–:–:–:–:–:– CHAPTER 23 –:–:–:–:–:–:–:–:–

When Catherine finally let Jem move her to the bed, and they were at last able to see her face, Nanny wanted to send for a doctor right away. Catherine begged her not to, but Jem had a hard time deciding during that first hour. He felt better about it after Nanny rinsed the blood away and he had a chance to examine her himself. As bad as it seemed, no bones were broken, and none of the cuts were deep enough to require stitches. Catherine needed ice, sleep, and time.

He sent Nanny down to the yard for Caleb, not saying what he was thinking. His father had beaten him worse many times, leaving no scars to speak of. If taking twice as many beatings would have spared Catherine this one, Jem would gladly go get the rest of them today.

Damning convention, he didn't stir from his place next to Catherine when Nanny returned; he was on top of the bedding and she was under it, anyway. Catherine stayed asleep despite Caleb's best efforts to rouse the entire neighborhood, swearing viciously in French, English, and Cherokee while Nanny and Jem tried to hush him. Jem had never seen Cochise anywhere near as upset– he rarely showed any strong emotion– and for a couple of minutes Jem feared Colt wouldn't be the first one to erupt in a lethal rage.

Nanny at last managed to calm Caleb into quiet seething, and Jem directed him to the exact drawer in his suite where Caleb would find enough cash to bribe any druggist in town.

Nanny stepped out to check on Becky several times, but was sitting at Cat's bedside when she woke weeping before Caleb come back with the laudanum. To Catherine's surprise, Jem was still lying alongside her. When Nanny had soothed her tears with cool cloths and wordless murmurs, Catherine turned her swollen face toward him. It hurt to talk, but it turned out she didn't have to.

Jem volunteered the information she needed almost immediately. "Colt went back to the ranch this morning to take care of a few things."

Cat let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She'd already determined for herself which of her men was the more impulsive. Awakening to find Colt nowhere in sight, she feared he'd already been jailed for her uncle's murder.

Another sound escaped her lips. Jem didn't understand, so he elaborated, hoping to hit on a piece that would tell Catherine what she wanted to know.

"After our conversation this morning," he paused and decided he didn't need to specify the topic or location in front of Nanny, "we realized our housekeeping probably isn't up to your standards, and he went to oversee a thorough cleaning and restock the pantry."

In reality, their pillow-talk had included Catherine's desire for her own room, who'd sleep where and when, and whether it would be permissible for her to have "alone-time" with one of them without the other becoming jealous or upset. It had been an enlightening hour, and so arousing she nearly hadn't made it out of bed at all.